A North Dakota man said he appreciates life now more than ever after he lost his hand while making sausage last month, forcing him to cut his own arm offMyron Schlafman's left arm got caught in an electric meat mixer on Aug. 17 while taking a chunk of meat out of the mixer and accidentally stepped on a pedal to activate the machine.“I just looked and knew I was in big trouble. When I cut off my arm, I could feel my nerves jumping," the 69-year-old told KFGO Radio. "If I would have hesitated, I would have stood right there and bled to death."Schlafman said the bone was severed, but he was still caught by muscle tissue, nerves and skin. He grabbed the knife and cut off the arm so he didn't bleed to death.He credited two police officers with saving his life by applying a tourniquet before ambulance crews arrived.The Army veteran said he survived Vietnam, so he can get through this ordeal too.“It would be very easy to sit back, feel sorry for myself and get depressed. I went through Vietnam. I can handle this," he said.Schlafman will be fitted with a prosthetic in a few months.

JAMESTOWN, N.D. —

A North Dakota man said he appreciates life now more than ever after he lost his hand while making sausage last month, forcing him to cut his own arm off

Myron Schlafman's left arm got caught in an electric meat mixer on Aug. 17 while taking a chunk of meat out of the mixer and accidentally stepped on a pedal to activate the machine.

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“I just looked and knew I was in big trouble. When I cut off my arm, I could feel my nerves jumping," the 69-year-old told KFGO Radio. "If I would have hesitated, I would have stood right there and bled to death."

Schlafman said the bone was severed, but he was still caught by muscle tissue, nerves and skin. He grabbed the knife and cut off the arm so he didn't bleed to death.

He credited two police officers with saving his life by applying a tourniquet before ambulance crews arrived.

The Army veteran said he survived Vietnam, so he can get through this ordeal too.

“It would be very easy to sit back, feel sorry for myself and get depressed. I went through Vietnam. I can handle this," he said.